Seabird Colony Register Census

The Seabird Colony Register (SCR) Census of breeding seabirds in Britain and Ireland was instigated by NCC (now JNCC) and the Seabird Group and was conducted between 1985 and 1988, although some data were collected in previous or subsequent years as part of specialist surveys (e.g. of Black Guillemots, terns and skuas). During the SCR Census around 3,300 coastal sites and 700 inland sites in Britain and Ireland were recorded on the SCR Database. The results of the SCR were summarised in Lloyd C., Tasker M.L. & Partridge K.  (1991) The status of seabirds in Britian and Ireland. Poyser, London.

 

The SCR census provided the second assessment of nationwide trends in seabird numbers. By deploying then recently developed survey techniques it provided more reliable baseline population estimates for Common Guillemots, Razorbills and Black Guillemots, against which future surveys could be compared. It allowed the national importance of individual colonies to be assessed in both Britain and Ireland, thereby enabling classification of Special Protection Areas. As in Operation Seafarer, the SCR Census did not attempt to survey storm-petrels and Manx Shearwaters.